Rules & Policies

Stay healthy. Stay safe. And stay home when sick. This is a community effort and we need your help to keep everyone safe. Remember, we’re in this together.
Download Full Studio Rules & Policies

COVID-19 Protocols

  • Clay Space is currently mask-optional for members and students; however, we support those who wish to remain masked.

  • Clay Space will monitor state and local health department notices about transmission in the area and will adjust our operations as necessary.

  • We have 2 HVAC systems with enhanced MERV-13 filters for heating, cooling, and airflow. Our system will be set to increase the amount and number of times per hour that the air is exchanged with fresh air. Our facility has windows running the length of the studio on both sides and will be opened to help with the airflow. Our front and back entrances can also be opened as necessary.

Studio Rules & Policies

  1. OPEN STUDIO HOURS (For Students)

    • The student entrance is at 275 Calyer St. Please do not enter through the members’ entrance. Open studio hours for students are 10am-10pm Monday-Saturday and 10am-9pm on Sunday. Students must check in and out during open studio hours and must affirm they have cleaned their workspace when signing out. During open studio hours, students may use the common areas and the classrooms by signing up for bench time using our online booking calendar found in the student portal. Students may not use the members' space.

  2. CLASS CANCELLATION POLICY 

    • If you register for the wrong class, please email to be transferred, do not double book, or you will be charged a change of registration fee of 3%.

    • To request a cancellation and full refund minus a $50 processing fee, you must contact us in writing within 10 days prior to the first class of your session. A refund of 50% (of the entire class fee) will be honored if requested within 1 week of the first class. There are no refunds or tuition applied to another semester once the session begins. Students are responsible to pay for the entire semester if they have chosen the payment plan. Email info@clayspacebk.com with your cancellation request..

  3. MISSED CLASS POLICY

    • We do our best to work with your schedule and offer up to 3 makeups to our students to be used within the current semester only. To make up a class, you must arrive at a comparable class on time and wait to see if there is an open spot. If there is not, you cannot make up the class at this time. If there is a spot, ask the instructor if you can attend. They have the option to agree or not. Makeups cannot be guaranteed and there is no refund for missed classes. If you cannot fulfill a makeup class, you can receive an additional 3 hours of bench time for this missed class. Email info@clayspacebk.com with your class information to receive these accommodations, but do not ask us to arrange a make up.

    • We May Cancel If the class does not fill sufficiently, we may cancel and try to move students to another class, apply tuition to another class or semester, or provide a full refund.

  4. CLEANING (Members & Students)

    • A clean studio is a healthy studio. In order to keep Clay Space a safe place for all to create, we cannot stress enough that proper cleaning is mandatory by all who work in the studio. Understanding how clay dust impacts our health should be at the top of our minds at all times.

    • Clean up your work area when done working, including your wheel, wheel basin, stool, the floor surrounding your wheel, your bucket, tools. Replace re-usable plastic and newspaper in the appropriate areas; do not leave it around the studio, but dispose of it properly.  

    • When using the slab roller, extruder, glaze buckets, glaze table, handbuilding table, or any other common areas, fully clean after you have finished using it. Replace all tools, glazes, oxides, banding wheels, etc. after you are finished using them. 

    • Wedge all the clay and return it to the appropriate bucket before leaving the studio. Clean and wipe down the wedging table after use. Do not leave any clay on the wedging tables.

    • As much as possible, remove your work from the bat and transfer it to a ware board before leaving it to dry. Place your work in progress on your designated shelf and overflow shelves when necessary. Damp-wipe all surfaces with a clean sponge, and rinse the sponge thoroughly before putting it back into place.

  5. DUST & SANDING (Members & Students) 

    • Do not do any scraping or sanding in the studio, as it creates hazardous dust. We encourage wet sanding.  Any dry sanding must be approved by the studio manager, Michael, on a case-by-case basis, using a mask in the spray booth or outside.  Since our floor is smooth, you can gently sweep trimmings or dry bits from the floor and avoid kicking up dust, or use a wet sponge to clean up your area. Do not walk away from your work area without cleaning all surfaces.

    • Students must clean their space before closing time (10pm Monday–Saturday, 9pm on Sunday). Students must be prepared to leave the studio by the end of studio hours. Leave 15 minutes to clean is an old pottery phrase to remember, since you should not begin cleaning up at 10pm. Do not stay past the end of the open studio hours.

  6. EQUIPMENT TRAINING (Members & Students)

    • If you have not been trained to use a piece of equipment, DO NOT USE IT. As a member, ask staff for training; as a student,  ask your teacher how to use the equipment. This includes the extruder, slab roller, and spray booth. If you break equipment because you used it without prior instruction, you will be liable for any damage caused.

    • Please be careful when moving glaze buckets. If you recklessly spill glaze, you may be responsible for the cost of replacing it. You will also be responsible for the cost of a kiln shelf if your improper glaze application causes damage or excessive labor.

  7. FIRING DEADLINES FOR STUDENTS

    • All students, even those continuing on to next semester, must submit work prior to the firing deadlines defined on the semester calendar.

  8. PERSONAL PROPERTY (Members & Students) 

    • Do not use anyone else’s tools without asking them directly. Do not touch anything on a member’s shelf or on a class shelf that does not belong to you. If you break something, please leave a note with your contact information.

  9. STUDIO SPACES & USE 

    • Members may use classrooms, but please be considerate of students who have priority in these spaces during open studio hours. All spaces should be booked using the booking calendars inside the student and member portals.

  10. STUDENT BENCH TIME

    • Student bench time is available for 3 hours per week for all registered students. Please book your appointments in the work area you plan to use and cancel your appointment if you decide not to come. If you find yourself wanting more than 3 hours per week, please purchase an Unlimited Benchtime Card from the shop. You will have access as much as you’d like during open studio hours. You will still need to book your appointments, but can bypass the bench time login chart at the front desk.

  11. GUESTS

    • Only members (not students) are permitted to bring guests for a fee of $35 for a ½ day pass or $50 for a full day pass after filling out the Buddy Pass Request Form. Members are responsible for the conduct of their guests, and guests may not be in the space without the member. If a guest wishes to fire  their work, they must do so at the outside firing rate.

  12. KIDS

    • Only members (not students) are permitted to bring their children to the studio on occasion while they are working. They should not be there for more than 2 hours at a time, and no more than once a week. It is the parent’s responsibility to supervise the child, keeping in mind that this is a professional, shared studio space. Children may work with small amounts of clay, and if they would like to fire anything, it must be done in the same manner as the parent’s work, the parent must assure that it’s safe to fire, and use the parent’s firing fees account.

  13. CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS

    • Because we put community at the center, we ask all members of the community to please be considerate of those around you. Please do not take up more space than you need to work, especially when the studio is crowded. While camaraderie is encouraged, please be considerate of those around you by not talking too loudly, too much, or on the phone inside the studio. Refrain from engaging with people wearing headphones unless it’s absolutely necessary, and approach the space with a general respect for the shared nature of the studio.

    • While sharing knowledge is encouraged and it’s tempting to offer advice, please offer help by asking if this is desired before engaging in the help you’d like to give. On the flip side, if you see something egregious, say something. As a co-caretaker of the space, we should all feel empowered to speak up when someone in the community is not respecting the space or its contents. If you have a question about a policy, how to do something, or how to use equipment, please ask staff before engaging another member or student.

  14. TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT

    • Do not discriminate. Read and follow the Clay Space Community Agreements. Please email info@clayspacebk.com if you experience something that does not align with these agreements.

  15. NO SMOKING

    • Our studio is in a no-smoking building, including the sidewalks outside of the building and the loading dock. If you need to smoke, please go to the courtyard side of the building near the security desk.

  16. OUTSIDE CLAY & GLAZES

    • Students and members must be approved first by filling out this form and receiving a confirmation before proceeding. This is to be certain that the materials are safe for use in our space and kilns.

  17. YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS

    • Be careful not to leave your jewelry or other important personal items in your apron pockets or at the studio. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items, so please keep track of your personal property. 

  18. FOOD & DRINKS (both)

    • Feel free to bring your own refreshments to the studio, but be sure to take them and their packaging out when you leave. There should be NO food or stained packaging placed in the studio trash or dumpster, as this will attract critters we do not want to have hanging around. Do not leave your food in the fridge overnight, as the refrigerator is mostly meant for staff to store food. Forgotten food will be tossed, so be prepared to lose things that have been left without permission.

  19. FIRING SYSTEM

    • In order to fire your work or purchase anything in the shop, you’ll need to register for an account that is different from your class or membership account. The QR code can be found in the glaze room as well as inside the portals. Please keep your credit card up to date, you can change the stored card at any time by logging into the system at any point.

  20. PICK-UP POLICY (student)

    • Student bisque work will be available for pick up and glazing for one month after the start of the new semester. Glaze work will be kept on the pick-up shelf after this date for two months. Work remaining on the pick-up shelf beyond these dates will be donated or tossed. Work left in the hospital for more than two months will also be donated or tossed. Members will have one month to pick up their bisqueware. Unclaimed pieces will be moved to a deeper storage space and donated or tossed after 2 months. Glaze work will be donated or tossed after 2 months.